McKenna settles campaign finance suit

OLYMPIA, Wash. (Legal Newsline) - Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna announced on Monday that he has reached a $300,000 settlement with a builders association that allegedly violated the state's campaign finance disclosure law.

The Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties allegedly failed to report campaign contributions and expenditures.

"This settlement represents roughly two years of work by our office to hold MBA-K&S accountable, preserves the value of the state's campaign finance disclosure laws and avoids the additional risk and expense to taxpayers of taking this case to trial," McKenna said.

The settlement against MBA-K&S is the largest such penalty in a case involving alleged failure to report campaign contributions and expenditures.

It requires the association to pay $150,000 in fines and an additional $40,000 in legal fees. The remaining $150,000 fine is suspended, but must be paid if the association commits any new campaign law violations before Dec. 31, 2016.

As part of the agreement, MBA-K&S is also required to file reports with the Public Disclosure Commission documenting its political contributions and expenditures since 2000.